Moonlite cover art

Moonlite

The Tragic Love Story of Captain Moonlite and the Bloody End of the Bushrangers

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Moonlite

By: Garry Linnell
Narrated by: Ryan Corr
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About this listen

 Read by Ryan Corr, acclaimed for his roles in Holding the Man and HBO's House of Dragon.

Immerse yourself in the captivating, true story of a unique bushranger's life, perfect for history enthusiasts and true crime fans.

From Walkley Award-winning writer Gary Linnell comes the true and epic story of George Scott, an Irish-born preacher who becomes, along with Ned Kelly, one of the nation's most notorious and celebrated criminals.

A Cast of Unforgettable Characters.
A gay bushranger with a love of poetry and guns.
A grotesque hangman with a passion for flowers and gardening.
A broken young man desperate for love and respect.
These men - two of them lovers - are about to bring the era of Australia's outlaws to a torrid and bloody climax.

From Privilege to Notoriety
Charismatic, intelligent, and handsome, George Scott was born into a privileged life in famine-wracked Ireland. His family lost its fortune and fled to New Zealand. There, Scott joins the local militia and after recovering from gunshot wounds, sails to Australia.

The Birth of Captain Moonlite
One night he dons a mask in a small country town, arms himself with a gun and, dubbing himself Captain Moonlite, brazenly robs a bank before staging one of the country's most audacious jailbreaks.

After falling in love with fellow prisoner James Nesbitt, a boyish petty criminal desperately searching for a father figure, Scott finds himself unable to shrug off his criminal past. Pursued and harassed by the police, he stages a dramatic siege and prepares for a final showdown with the law - and a macabre executioner without a nose.

A Window Into Australia's Past
Told at a cracking pace, and based on many of the extensive letters Scott wrote from his death cell, Moonlite is set amid the violent and sexually-repressed era of Australia in the second half of the 19th century.

'Linnell's vibrant, lyrical retelling of Scott's remarkable life reads like a colourful novel' Daily Telegraph©2020 Garry Linnell (P)2020 Penguin Random House Australia 19th Century Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Gay Studies LGBTQ+ Studies Modern Oceania Emotionally Gripping
All stars
Most relevant
Really interesting and well researched, particularly enjoyed Ryan Corr's perfectly paired narration, and accents for increased characterisation.

Worth it

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I thoroughly enjoyed this Audiobook. I'll admit that Australian history is not my usual thing, so I was surprised how much this really drew me in. It's beautifully written, in parts it almost feels like an exciting novel! And of course the fascinating subject matter and cast of characters turned out to be quite gripping. Lastly I have to say the narration by Ryan Corr is just so good. Spectacular really. Not just a pleasant sounding voice, an all round perfect reading which brings things to life and takes it to an even higher level. Highly recommended in Audiobook form.

Fantastically well done

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I remember my grade 3 teacher reading our class a story about Captain Moonlite. Of course, it was a child’s book, but the similarities between that children’s version and Linnell’s of the fascinating paradox that is Captain Moonlite are marked. Linnell’s impeccably researched recount of the life of George Scott is told within a broader context of that criminal era in Australia and delves into the political and social climate of the time. The first few digressions into other stories threw me, but what seemed initially to be solitary patches, albeit each beautifully crafted, came skillfully together as a complete, intricate piece. When the story is over, there is a gem proffered in the Afterword, where what Linnell has teased out throughout the course of the Moonlite story is revisited through a fascinating, condensed discourse.

Corr’s narration feels perfectly in sync with the writer’s sense of pace. He keeps the listener engaged and wanting to hear the next chapter. Moreover, his vocal characterisation of Scott adds a realism that makes the listener feel they have a personal insight into this man. Such an intricate story as this can potentially cause confusion, with its myriad of characters and locations, but Corr’s narration maintains clarity of characters and settings, so there is never any need to go back over something.

Headline: Skillfully crafted and narrated

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Exceptionally written and beautifully narrated. Thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Never dry history, wonderful bought to life. A must read 😊

Fantastic

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Captain Moonlite was gay and "Moonlite" is a brilliant work of non-fiction that reads like a novel.


Sep 29, 2020

Moonlite is a tragic love story.

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I'm so glad I hung in there! I was put off a bit by the first couple of chapters as they didn't seem to be going anywhere or describing much. But as you go further in ..... well, I feel, I was richly rewarded. I really appreciated the painstaking research and the excellent style of weaving into a coherent narrative that puts you in the story in a way that textbook accounts (of anything) can't. This is the style of history I always wanted. Ryan Corr is an expert narrator for this book. He has a lovely seamless style and expertly slips in and out of narrator and character at every change. He also has a commendable Irish lilt. If Gary Linnell's other books are this good I will keep purchasing. Please keep writing them Gary. I hope we get Ryan back narrating them too. Buy this book if you're fond of well researched factual Australian history, served in a more accessible and pleasant ( and memorable) style.

It took a couple of chapters

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I enjoyed this book immensely. I come from one of the towns mentioned in the book and found that part of the story compelling. The readers performance is excellent.

A Good Non-Fiction Yarn

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I really enjoyed this book it covers a lot of Australian history and is a fascinating story as well I have read many books on Australian bush rangers and this one is incredibly interesting and informative and covers many other issues of the day as well Very well done and well read

Busterbaddog

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Never really knew much about Moonlight, now I do and I’m glad because he was certainly a very interesting character. Well written story and very well read. Recommended.

Well written

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I horoughly enjoyed learning about Captain Moonlite and the interweaving of his story with the early settlement of NSW.
great narration!

Great factual story telling

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